Inkjet printing technology is used in many commercial products such as computer printers, graphics plotters, copiers and facsimile machines. Generally, inkjet printing employs a fluid ejection device, commonly referred to as a printhead, which ejects drops of ink or other imaging material through a plurality of nozzles onto a print medium such as paper.
Image quality can deteriorate after repeated uses due to printhead surfaces being fouled with ink residue, paper dust or other debris and/or the nozzles becoming clogged with dried imaging material. It is thus common for printing systems to have a service station at which various operations, such as wiping, spitting and capping, are performed on the printheads to maintain printhead health. Wiping generally comprises moving a wiper of a specified material across the printhead surface to remove debris therefrom. Spitting involves periodically firing a number of drops of imaging material through the nozzles to prevent clogs from forming in the nozzles. The ejected imaging material is typically collected by an absorber or a waste receiver commonly called a spittoon. Capping refers to covering the printhead during non-operational periods to seal the printhead from contaminants. Capping also prevents ink on the printhead and in the nozzles from drying and is typically accomplished using a sealing enclosure, such as a rubber seal, placed around the nozzle array.
Refurbishment of traditional service stations involves replacing absorbers saturated and coated with waste ink and replacing old, inky wipers. Additional cleaning of migrated ink is often needed. With absorber based waste ink containment, ink buildups (stalagmites) form on the absorber surfaces and are exposed during refurbishment and cleaning. Exposure of the gooey ink residue makes refurbishment a messy and complicated process, and risks contamination and damage of printing components.